The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 13 Seeking a Professor's Endorsement

dong dong!

Shortly after knocking, Zhou Zhiqiang saw an elderly scholar wearing glasses open the door.

Upon seeing the person behind the door, Zhou Zhiqiang quickly compared him to his memory; this was Professor Zhang, the person he was looking for.

Fortunately, just as he remembered, Professor Zhang was from out of town and usually lived in the school dormitory, only returning home a few times a year.

After glancing at Zhou Zhiqiang a few times, Zhang Deli asked, "Young man, who are you? You're not my student, are you?"

"What brings you here? If you're here to pull strings, you're probably disappointed. I don't have any connections."

He noticed the pastries in Zhou Zhiqiang's hand and assumed that Zhou Zhiqiang was there to pull strings.

"Professor Zhang, I'm not here to curry favor. I was a mechanical engineering student under Professor Guo Linhua, and I graduated almost a year ago. I've come here specifically to seek your guidance."

After hearing Zhou Zhiqiang mention Guo Linhua's name, Zhang Deli looked him over carefully again and casually asked, "Old Guo was just transferred, and you're using his name to find me?"

"Professor Zhang, I am Professor Guo's son-in-law and also Professor Guo's student. I used to live in Professor Guo's dormitory. Have you forgotten?"

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly explained that he found people in this era to be really vigilant, and would ask questions repeatedly if anything seemed amiss.

If he answers incorrectly again, Zhang Deli will probably close the door immediately and call the school security department.

Zhou Zhiqiang even took out his student ID and handed it over, saying, "Professor Zhang, look at my ID. He left us too quickly. We didn't even have time to have a wedding banquet after I got married to his daughter."

I took a day off to see my teacher off at the train station, and then Yuting and I went to work.

"Oh, it's you. I remember now."

When Zhang Deli saw Zhou Zhiqiang's student ID and heard what he said, he remembered that such a thing had happened.

So he stepped aside to let Zhou Zhiqiang into the house.

Zhang Deli then poured Zhou Zhiqiang a glass of water before asking, "What brings you here?"

"Our factory recently received a production order for a batch of agricultural machinery parts. After assigning the task, I felt that with the current materials used in these parts, their service life might not be very long."
So I've been doing some research on my own for a while and came up with a new alloy material process, but I don't know if it's feasible, so I wanted to ask you for advice.

Zhou Zhiqiang stated his purpose directly, then took out the new material alloy formula and processing technology he had brought, handed them to Zhang Deli, and said...
"Teacher Zhang, please give me some pointers."

"New materials technology? I didn't expect Lao Guo's student to be researching my field. Well then, let me take a look."

Zhang Deli smiled and took it, then adjusted his glasses and began to read.

The room fell silent. Zhou Zhiqiang didn't drink any water and just waited for Zhang Deli to finish reading.

After a while, Zhang Deli raised his head and slowly said, "A very interesting theory. Did you come up with this all by yourself?"

"It's a bit immature, and I need your criticism, Teacher Zhang."

"I can't offer too much criticism in this regard; everything must be considered from the perspective of actual results. However, your ideas coincide somewhat with what we discussed in our department before."
If I didn't genuinely have no recollection of you, I would have thought you were listening to my lectures the whole time.

Zhang Deli shook his head and smiled, then continued to ask, "You must have other ideas, right? Tell me, if the new alloy material really works as you've deduced, it could be applied in many areas."

"Our country's steel production is very small, and the production of refined steel is even smaller, but the so-called 'refined steel' does not reach the strength and toughness you inferred..." Zhou Zhiqiang scratched his head and smiled, saying, "You saw through me, Professor Zhang. Our factory does machining, and we don't have an experimental environment."

But it's probably going to be difficult for a mere technician like me to persuade another steel mill."

"I understand, let me vouch for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Deli smiled, then took out a pen and said to Zhou Zhiqiang, "Sign your new material process innovation experiment."

"Teacher Zhang, what are you doing?"

"Just sign it first."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang had no choice but to sign his name as Zhang Deli had instructed.

After signing the document, Zhou Zhiqiang understood what it meant: the material was definitely his, and he would be the primary developer if the results were achieved.

After seeing Zhou Zhiqiang sign his name, Zhang Deli said to him, "Alright, you can go back now. I'll go to your factory on Monday afternoon. I'll go with you and your boss to find what factory you mentioned again?"

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly replied, "Our factory has always cooperated with the Second Steel Rolling Mill, and we get almost all our materials from them."

"Okay, I'll go there on Monday anyway. I'll discuss this with others again tomorrow. Your summary of the smelting process is very insightful. Let's call it a day."

After Zhang Deli finished speaking, he noticed the pastries on the table, pointed at them, and said, "Take these back. I can't eat sweets. Next time, bring me something else, hehehe."

"I'm sorry, teacher, I really didn't know that, it was an oversight."

After hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang apologized repeatedly, then exchanged a few more pleasantries with Zhang Deli before leaving his dormitory.

It was already dark when he came out, and Zhou Zhiqiang rode his bike home. He was lucky on the way and didn't run into the joint defense team, otherwise he would have been questioned.

The noise from returning home startled Guo Yuting inside.

Guo Yuting came out and greeted him with a smile, asking, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I saved some for you. You can eat it after heating it up. Zhiqiang, why did you bring the pastries back?"

“Teacher Zhang can’t eat sweets, so I brought them back. I’m a little embarrassed. Next time, let’s get cigarettes instead. I think he really likes smoking.”

Zhou Zhiqiang smiled and said, "No need to heat it up. It's not winter now, so it won't get too cold in a little while. Just eat it directly."

Upon hearing this, Guo Yuting obediently brought over the leftover dinner. Zhou Zhiqiang glanced at it and saw that the steamed buns made from the two-ingredient dough were somewhat deformed, and the stir-fried cabbage was just like boiled cabbage.
After taking a bite, it's an improvement; at least it's not too salty.

During the meal, Zhou Zhiqiang suddenly remembered something and said to Guo Yuting, "Yuting, I have a day off tomorrow. I need to go back home and buy some things to take back with me."

You know I was able to go to school thanks to the village chief and the teachers at the township middle school; I'm going back to see them.

"We're going back. I heard there's been a good harvest in the countryside recently, Zhiqiang. We haven't met your family since we got married. How about I go back with you?"

Guo Yuting asked tentatively, with a hint of cunning. She didn't particularly like the countryside, but she really liked her husband, Zhou Zhiqiang.

Even if she didn't like it, Guo Yuting planned to go if Zhou Zhiqiang agreed, since she wouldn't be staying long anyway.
"No need, you stay in the city. My relationship with my family is so-so, and they don't consider me an honor. I'll come back after I deliver the money."

Zhou Zhiqiang refused, saying, "Even if they know I graduated from university, they're only thinking about how much money they can send home. They don't think that university graduates can bring them any honor."

(End of this chapter)